HICKORY, N.C. — It’s a challenging time for school districts as they cope with the resignations and retirements of teachers, bus drivers, and staff members.
A Catawba County middle school faced this problem earlier this year as it tried to fill an empty custodial position. Its head custodian retired.
Teachers and administrators helped where they could by staying behind and cleaning classrooms.
One student noticed and is seeking solutions to help keep her school clean.
After the halls of Arndt Middle School in Hickory are cleared, two times a week, a group of students meet up.
They’re a part of the Arndt Middle School Beautification Club.
"All of them joined on their own. I didn't force anybody," said Grace Price, an Arndt Middle School Student.
This club is a little different from most it was formed out of necessity by the eighth-grader.
“My teachers were doing garbage and I was in the room doing desk," Price said.
In Dec. 2021, the school lost one of its custodians and was down to just two custodians cleaning the largest middle school in the district.
“I overheard them talking about how they were low on custodians and how they could use help so I saw a need and I basically went home and emailed Ms.Stodden," Price said.
Price emailed her principal Jennifer Stodden and asked to form a club with her classmates to stay after school and help.
Stodden worked with the students who filled out a proposal to start the club and worked with the custodial staff to find safe things the kids could do.
Now you’ll find them taking out the garbage and wiping down water fountains for about an hour and a half twice a week.
The current head custodian said the kids are the highlight of her week.
“In my heart, I feel it, I feel it. In my heart they made a decision to help us," said Isabel Figueroa, the Arndt Middle School Head Custodian.
The school now has enough custodians, but the club continues.
“The thing is these are people who don’t like to clean their bedrooms at home, but I think it was the thought of helping, and helping our custodians leave before we went off to high school," Price said.
The club is such a hit it won’t stop with these students.
They’re training a group of seventh-graders to keep it going.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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